                    ON-LINE HELP FOR TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
                    =======================================

           copyright (c) 1989 Marshall Woolner.  All rights reserved.

      This documentation refers to version 1.08 (2-10-90) of TMS.


      Part I describes the operation of Test Management System (TMS) from
      the main menu and other menus.  All TMS functions and services are
      activated by menu choices.

      Part II describes additional help and support for use of TMS,
      including reporting problems.



    PART I:  OPERATION OF TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM


    The main menu is the platform from which you will operate TMS.  The
    options listed are:

                        Questions
                        Test
                        Disk
                        Print
                        Score
                        Info (tech)
                        Utilities
                        Configuration
                        HELP!
                        End

    You will notice that when you come to the main menu for the first time,
    the option "Questions" is highlighted or in reverse video.  To use the
    main menu, and any other menu in TMS, follow these instructions:


    1.  Use the up and down cursor keys (usually found on the 8 and 2 keys
        of the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard) to move
        the highlight bar to your selection, then press the <ENTER> key.
        This has the advantage of displaying a prompt in the message box
        under the main menu.  The message box will display a brief message
        which describes the functions associated with the highlighted option.

    2.  Press the first letter of your choice to activate the options.  For
        instance, to choose the "Questions" option, simply press the "Q"
        key.  This has the advantage of being faster than moving the high-
        light bar.

    3.  As an added note, many of the selections in TMS need confirmation.
        This takes the form of answering yes or no to a prompt, then
        pressing the <ENTER> key.  If you find that TMS is not doing what
        you want it to do, repeat the steps being very careful to read the
        prompts completely.


    All of the menus in TMS work the same way;  highlight your choice, then
    press <ENTER>, or press the first letter of your choice.

    The following are the messages associated with each of the main menu
    options:

    "Questions"     Add, change or delete test bank questions
    "Test"          Create or delete a test
    "Disk"          Select a test and prepare it for administration by
                    computer
    "Print"         Select a test and print it, with answer sheet and
                    key template
    "Score"         Score a computer-administered test, and print the
                    results
    "Info (tech)"   Display technical programming information about this
                    Program
    "Utilities"     Access TMS utilities
    "Configuration" Set or change configuration of TMS
    "HELP!"         Gain Access to the general help system
    "End"           Exit this program to the DOS command line


    Now, for a detailed explanation of the operation of each of the
    TMS main menu options.


    ****    MAIN MENU ITEM:  QUESTIONS

    Choosing this option will bring up the question menu.  The question
    menu operates in the same manner as the main menu - you make selections
    by using the cursor keys to highlight your choice, then press the
    <ENTER> key, or you press the first letter of your choice.  Here are
    the options:

                        Add a question
                        Change a question
                        Delete a question
                        Eliminate keys
                        Finished


    And here is how you operate the options, and what they do:



                            "Add a question"

    Select this option when you wish to add a new question (test item) to
    the test bank.

    When you select this option, you will be presented with three scrolling
    choice screen, one screen each for items labeled AREA, CLASS and AUTHOR.
    AREA, CLASS and AUTHOR are index keys, and provide information about the
    test item which allows you search the test bank for other questions with
    similar or identical index keys.  The index key information is always
    entered in upper case letters.  You can use these to enter any information
    about the test item you wish;  however, their names are suggestive of the
    type of information intended.  For instance, you might enter "NSG 101"
    for key CLASS information, or "TRAUMA" for key AREA information.

    To make a selection from a scrolling choice screen, you use the cursor
    key to move the highlight bar to the item you wish to select, then press
    the <ENTER> key.

    Each of the three scrolling choice screens operates in the same manner;
    the following is a description of the scrolling choice screen operation
    for AREA.  Substitute the words CLASS or AUTHOR for AREA to understand
    how the other two operate.

    The first item highlighted is "Leave the AREA blank for now, or as it
    is".  If you select this item, you will immediately leave the AREA
    scrolling choice screen without choosing AREA information.  This would
    be most appropriate if you do now want to enter AREA information.

    The next line down is "Enter a new and unique AREA".  Select this if
    the AREA information displayed below it is not appropriate for the
    test item you are entering.  If you select this item, you will be
    presented with an information entry window, prompting you to enter a
    unique code for AREA.  The AREA information is limited to a code of
    eight characters, to conserve disk storage space.  There is also a
    description line, to allow you to enter up to fourty characters of
    text to describe the AREA entry.  There is a prompt asking you if
    the entry is complete - this must be answered Y or N;  if N is entered,
    you will have another chance to enter the information.  If you enter
    Y, the entry will be checked for uniqueness.  If it is not unique,
    another window will appear, in red, to prompt you that the code is
    not unique.  Enter T to try again, or X to exit without entering new
    AREA information.

    The third and subsequent lines contain AREA information that has already
    been entered.  The section to the left contains the codes (from one to
    eight letters, all upper case) and the section to the right contains the
    descriptions (up to fourty characters).  If there are more codes than
    can be displayed on one screen, the label "--more--" will appear in
    the lower screen;  move the highlight bar down to the last item displayed,
    and continue pressing the cursor key and the additional codes will scroll
    in the window until the last item is displayed.  To select one of these,
    highlight your choice and press <ENTER>.

    Once you have finished with the three scrolling choice screens, the
    item entry screen will be displayed.  In the top 1/3 third, you will
    see L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 and L6 displayed to the left hand side, with
    blank lines bounded by colons.  This is the area in which to enter the
    text of the item stem.  Type each line in, one at a time.  Do not leave
    L1 blank, or leave a blank line between any lines which contain text.
    If you do this, the question will not print properly.  You can move be-
    tween lines by using the cursor keys, or move from one line down to the
    next by pressing the <ENTER> key.  Each line can contain up to 60 char-
    acters of text.  There is no word wrap, so when you are at the end of
    one line, you will need to press <ENTER> or a down-arrow cursor key to
    move down to the next line.  No special graphics or editing characters
    are supported (italics, underlining, etc.) so if there is a word you
    wish to emphasize, you might want to make it all upper case, e.g.

        All of the following are synonymous, EXCEPT:


    There are five option answers supported, each with one or two fifty-five
    character lines.  You must enter at least two (a and b) or up to five
    (a through e).  If you enter only one line in an option answer, make
    sure that it is the upper of the two lines available.  If you do not,
    the TMS will not read the option answer or print it correctly on a
    test, e.g.

    Acceptable:

           a.  :the first step to take is to evaluate airway patency
               :

                                   or

           a.  :pH 7.54,  PaCO2 88,  PaO2 54,  HCO3 28,  RR 24,  O2 CT 11.2
               :on FiO2 1.00, TV 900 SIMV 12


    Will not read correctly:

           a.  :
               :the first step to take  is to evaluate airway patency


    When you enter the last option answer, press the <ENTER> key until the
    cursor moves to the "Correct: " space.  This is a mandatory entry area;
    you cannot move on until you enter the correct answer to the question.

    The next area is the level (you will bypass the AREA, AUTHOR and CLASS
    entry area - you can enter information in these spaces only by the
    scrolling choice screens described above).  You can enter the numbers
    1 through 9;  this is intended for level of difficulty of the question.
    I use a 1 through 3 scale only:  1 for simple recall/rote memorization;
    2 for synthesis of information, and 3 for application of theory in a
    practical situation.

    The total questions area is simply a counter of the total number of
    test items in the test bank.

    The next two sections, Ext. Ref (external reference) and Int. Ref. (in-
    ternal reference) or free text entry areas.  You may enter anything you
    wish - up to fourty characters each line.  I use the Ext. Ref. to enter
    bibliographic citations, usually from text books or current professional
    publications.  The Int. Ref. I use for information from the handouts
    given for the classes I coordinate, usually the objective number and a
    page number for the content of the question.  All this information is
    printed in the reference copy of the test, so it makes reviewing the
    test with students easier for me.

    The last items is "Is this entry complete? (Y/N)".  If you enter N, then
    the cursor will move to the top of the screen, and you will have the op-
    portunity to edit your item.  If you enter Y, a line will appear at the
    bottom of the screen:

    S)tore  A)bandon  R)esure editing? [select your choice, then press ENTER]

    If you press S, then <ENTER>, the question will be stored in the test
    bank.
    If you press A, then <ENTER>, you will be prompted "Are you sure?" - you
    must type YES and press <ENTER> to abandon the question. (the question
    will then 'evaporate')
    If you press R, then <ENTER>, the cursor will move to the top of the
    screen, and you will be able to resume editing the question.

    If you choose S or A, you will then be prompted "Do you want to CONTINUE
    adding questions? (Y/N)".  If you answer Y, then press <ENTER>, you will
    repeat the question entry process again, beginning with the scrolling
    choice screens for AREA, CLASS and AUTHOR.  If you chose N, then press
    <ENTER>, you will go back to the "Question" menu.


                            "Change a question"

    When you select this option, the first item in the test bank will be
    displayed in "index card" format.  "Index card" format means that one
    question (test item) will be displayed at a time, with additional in-
    formation displayed with it on screen.  This is the way that the test
    items will be displayed in the "Create a test" mode from the "Test"
    menu.

    The test item will be displayed with the stem followed by the option
    answers.  The correct answer will be highlighted, with an arrow to
    the left of the answer pointing to it.

    At the top of the screen, the question number, index and order messages
    will be displayed.  Question number is the unique number assigned to
    the question when it was created.  If the question is ever deleted from
    the test bank, the number is deleted also, and will never be used for
    any other question.  The index shows whether the index is off or on,
    and if it is on, which index is in use.  The index choices are AUTHOR,
    CLASS and AREA.  The order shows the pattern or path that will be fol-
    lowed through the test bank as you browse through the items.  Natural
    order means that you will move through the test bank in the order in
    which the items were entered into the test bank.  Alphabetic order
    means alphabetically, based on the index key that is active.

    At the bottom of the screen, you will find the CLASS, AREA and AUTHOR
    of the question listed, as well as the test bank record number.  The
    record number is the ordinal number of the position of the test item
    in the test bank.  Unlike the question number, the record number will
    change as items are added and deleted.

    The next to the last row is a horizontal version of a menu.  These
    provide you with a variety of ways to browse through the test bank,
    in order to find the question(s) you wish to change.  The options
    are:

    NEXT     BACK     GOTO     CHANGE SEARCH    EDIT     QUIT/EXIT

   Like other TMS menus, you can move the lightbar to each of the options,
   then press <ENTER>, or you can press the first letter of your choice.
   Here is what each of them will do:

           NEXT  will move forward to the next question.  If the index
                 is off, it will move to the next item, in the order in
                 which the test items were originally entered.  If an index
                 is on, it will move to the next item in the order in which
                 the items are indexed.  If the last test item is already
                 being displayed, it will give you a "last item" message.

           BACK  will move back to the previous question.  If the index is
                 off, it will move to the previous item, in the order in
                 which the test items were originally entered.  If an index
                 is on, it will move back to the previous item in the order
                 in which the items are indexed.  If the first test item is
                 already being displayed, it will give you a "no items before
                this one" message.

           GOTO  Means "go to" a question number which you select.  You will
                 be prompted to enter a question number, and TMS will search
                 for it.  If it is found, it will be displayed;  if not, it
                 will give you an "item not found" message.

         CHANGE  This will pop up a scrolling choice screen, to allow you to
         SEARCH  choose the index key to use, and allow you an opportunity
                 to find a specific item.  The index you select will remain
                 active until you turn it off using the CHANGE SEARCH option.

         EDIT    Edit will invoke the editing screen, which operates in the
                 same manner as the "Add a question" option above, except
                 that the item will be displayed.

      QUIT/EXIT  This will send you back to the "Question" menu




                        "Delete a question"


    When you select this, a warning screen will be displayed.  If you elect
    to continue, you will be able to browse through the test bank in a way
    similar to the "Change a question" option, except that you will have
    a "DELETE" option, which will allow you to delete an item permanently
    from the test bank.


                           "Eliminate Keys"


    This option will present you with three scrolling choice screens, one
    each for AREA, CLASS and AUTHOR.  To use these, simply scroll the light
    bar to your selection and press <ENTER> to delete a key from the index.


                                "Finished"

    Select this items to return to the main menu.


    ****   MAIN MENU ITEM:  TEST

    Selecting this item will bring up the "Test Service" menu, which has
    the following options:

                "Create a test"
                "Delete a test"
                "Finished"


                            "Create a test"

    When you select this item, you will see the first question in the
    test bank displayed in "index card" format.  It is the same format
    described above (in the "Change a question" option of the "Question"
    menu), with the following differences.

    In addition to CLASS, AREA and AUTHOR, Level, Marked, Correct and
    Total Marked information will be displayed.  Level indicated the
    level of difficulty, from 1 through 9.  Marked indicates if the
    question has been marked by you for inclusion in the test you are
    creating.  If you have not "marked" the question, it will display
    "Marked:  No";  if you have "marked" the question, it will display
    "Marked: Yes", highlighted in magenta.

    The horizontal menu appears this way:

    NEXT    BACK    GOTO    SEARCH    MARK     UNMARK    EDIT    QUIT/SAVE

    NEXT, BACK, GOTO and EDIT operate in the same manner as described
    above in the "Change a question" option of the "Question" menu.
    SEARCH operates the same as CHANGE SEARCH.

    MARK will "mark" the question being displayed so that it will be in-
    cluded in the test you are building.  MARK will also increment the
    "Total Marked" counter by one.  If you attempt to MARK more than
    120 questions, you will see a message that you have tried to mark
    too many questions.

    UNMARK will remove the "mark" from a "marked" question;  if the question
    was marked, it will also decrement the "Total Marked" counter by one.

    QUIT/SAVE will offer you the opportunity to quit selecting test items
    or continue selecting test items.  If you choose to quit, it will ask
    you what to do - save the test or abandon it.  You must confirm all
    your selections by pressing the <ENTER> key.  If you choose to save
    the test, you will be presented with a "NEW TEST INFORMATION" entry
    screen.  You will be asked for a test name (up to 40 characters),
    comments (up to 40 characters), and a test code (8 characters).  The
    test code is the only mandatory entry item.  The test code must be a
    unique code, and will be used to identify the test among other tests
    you create.  As a suggestion, you might wish to make the code two
    letter, followed by a six-character date;  however, you are free to
    make the code anything you like.  Finally, you are asked if the in-
    formation is complete.  If you answer N, you have the opportunity to
    correct or add information again.  If you answer Y, the test will be
    stored in the test history database and you will return to the main
    menu.

                            "Delete a test"

    When you choose this selection, you will be presented with a scrolling
    choice screen.  The first choice will be "CANCEL PROCESS - DELETE NO
    TEST";  the rest of the choices will be the tests stored in the test
    history database.  Scroll the light bar up/down to highlight your
    choice, then press <ENTER>.  You will be asked to confirm you choice,
    and if you confirm that you want to delete the test, it will be deleted
    permanently from the test history database.

                              "Finished"

    This option returns you immediately to the main menu.



    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  DISK

    When you select this item from the main menu, you will be presented
    first with a scrolling choice screen, containing the tests stored in
    the test history database.  To select the test you wish to administer
    by computer, scroll the light bar up/down to your choice of tests,
    then press the <ENTER> key.

    Next, you will be presented with the "TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - DISK
    BASED TESTING SERVICE" information entry screen.  You will be prompted
    to enter a test group code, and information on how you wish the
    test to be administered.  Auto score, auto review and auto retest can
    each be enabled by a Y and disabled by an N.  Auto score will auto-
    matically score and display the results to the person taking the
    test.  Auto review gives the test taker the option of reviewing the
    test with his/her answer and the correct answer displayed with each
    question (there is no possibility of changing the answer after the
    test has been scored).  Auto retest allowsthe test taker the option
    of retaking the test if he/she scores below the established minimum
    passing score.  Minimum passing score is used to establish pass/fail
    when you select auto score and auto retest;  you can set it from
    1 to 100 %.


    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  PRINT


    This option prepares for printing a test.  The first display is the
    scrolling choice screen.  You choose a test to print by moving the
    light bar up/down with the cursor keys to select your choice, then
    you press the <ENTER> key.  The next screen is the "Preparation for
    Printing" information entry screen.  The name and code of the test
    are displayed at the top of the screen, and you are prompted to
    enter where to print.  Where to print has three options, P, D and
    B.  P indicates printer only - the test will be printed on the
    printer that is connected to LPT1, the parallel printer port.  D
    indicates that the test is to be "printed" to a disk file;  actually,
    the text of the test will be saved as an ASCII disk file.  This is
    a text file, saved on disk, which you can load into almost any
    word processing program, and modify as you desire.  The third option,
    B, means both - save as a text file and print on the LPT1 printer.

    The next option is reference key.  If you enter T for test only,
    the test will print, with a blank answer sheet, a key template with
    the correct answers indicated (an overlay template to facilitate
    scoring of paper/pencil tests), and a test report.  The test report
    is a half page printout of information about the test.  If you enter
    R, you will get the above, and a reference key version of the test;
    this has the questions printed, along with the correct answers and
    the additional information about the test item (as displayed on the
    "Add a question" test item entry screen).

    Once you have confirmed the information on the "Preparation for
    Printing" screen, you will be presented with the "Test Printing In-
    formation" screen.  You will be prompted to enter optional infor-
    mation that will be included in the printing - heading, footers,
    date, title and instructor.  These may be omitted if you choose.



    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  SCORE

    When you select this item, you will be presented with the "Scoring
    Service Menu".  The menu options are:

                        "Quit"
                        "Load"
                        "Tally"
                        "Report"
                        "Student"
                        "Manual"
                        "Delete"




                                  "Quit"

    When you select "Quit", you return immediately to the main menu.


                                  "Load"

    When you select this item, you will be prompted to place the testing
    disk(s) in the A: drive.  If you place a disk that does not contain the
    file of student scores on it, a message will appear to prompt you to
    make the correction.  When you place the disk with the proper student
    scores on it in the A: drive, the student test answers and scores will
    be loaded into the master student score database on the hard disk.
    When that has been done, you will prompted whether you want to delete
    the student answers from the testing disk.  If you choose Y, the scores
    will be deleted from the test disk.

    When you are done with one test disk, you will be asked if you have
    another to load.  Repeat the process until all test disks are done.



                                "Tally"

    When you select this option, you will be presented with a scrolling
    list of test groups.  When you select one, it will prepare a report
    that shows a tally of the answer distribution for all the test group
    members (18 chose "a." for question 1, 33 chose "b.", etc).  It will
    also provide test group statistics:  average score, median, mode and
    standard deviation.


                                "Report"

    When you select this option, you will be presented with a scrolling
    choice screen, displaying the test groups stored in the master student
   score database.  Make your selection by scrolling the light bar up/down
   to highlight your choice, then press <ENTER>.  Press ESC to abort the
   process, or prepare the printer and press any other key.



                                "Student"


   When you select this option, you will be presented with a scrolling list
   of test groups;  if you select one, you will then be presented with a
   scrolling list of the people in the test group.  If you select one, TMS
   will prepare a printed report on the test performance of the person you
   selected.



                                "Manual"

   When you select manual, you will have be able to enter test data manually
   for the people who did not take tests on the computer.  Requires only that
   you to enter personal information and incorrect answers.   Intended to
   provide you with a method for including manually taken tests in all of
   your test performance statistics.


                                "Delete"

   This option produces a scrolling choice screen, displaying the test
   groups.  Make your selection by scrolling the light bar up/down to
   highlight your choice, then press <ENTER>.  You will be prompted to
   confirm you choice;  if you confirm your choice, all the student
   scores and answers for that test group will be deleted from the master
   student score database.





    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  INFO (TECH)

    When you select this item, the screen will display the text of some
    technical information about TMS.  It may be interesting if you have
    some fondness for programming, otherwise it is a monumental bore.




    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  UTILITIES

    The utility services menu contains the following entries:

                               Quit
                               Update Indexes
                               New Numbers
                               Import
                               Export
                               Backup
                               Restore
                               Test Item
                               Key Info



                                "Quit"

    Selecting "Quit" will take you back to the main menu


                             "Update Indexes"

    Select "Update Indexes" if you feel that there may be a problem with
    the indexes - they are the supplementary files which allow quick
    location of test items.  It is unlikey that the indexes will need it
    often, at the most once a month.  If system performance bogs down, or
    if you get erroneous items on tests - ones that you know were not
    selected for a test, perform this function.


                              "New Numbers"

    Select "New Numbers" if there has been a catastrophe and you are not
    able to get any tests to print out correctly.  This function will pro-
    vide a new set of unique test item identification numbers, but will
    void any tests previously stored in the test history database.


                                 "Import"

    Select "Import" when you wish to add test items to the test bank that
    were produced by on another computer using TMS (using the "Export"
    function, listed below).  To use it, place the diskette containing the
    test items (stored in the data file TRANSPORT.DBF) in the A: drive,
    and begin.  The items will be imported to the test bank, the indexes
    will be updated, and the test items renumbered with unique item iden-
    tification numbers (DO NOT USE THE NEW NUMBERS UTILITY WITH THIS - IT
    IS NOT NECESSARY).

                                "Export"

    Select "Export" when you wish to select test items to transfer to
    diskette for subsequent importing to a separate test bank of test
    items.  Before useing this feature, it is important that you have
    a formatted diskette ready for use.  When "Export" is selected, you
    will be presented with a test item display screen similar to that for
    the test creation function;  you may browse the test bank, mark or un-
    mark test items, search for specific test items.  When you have marked
    all the test items you wish, select the "Quit" option from the menu, and
    you will be asked to confirm that you wish to export items.  If you do
    confirm, the items will be loaded on to the diskette in drive A:, in a
    file called TRANSFER.DBF.  The diskette can then be taken to another
    computer on which TMS is operating, and the test items loaded into the
    test bank using the "Import" function listed above.


                                 "Backup"

    Select "Backup" when you wish to make a security backup copy of the
    test bank.  I strongly encourage you to do this on a regular basis,
    preferbly once a week.  If anything ever happens to the testbank (a
    power failure during a save, a "head crash" or any other accident
    that corrupts the test bank) you can restore test items without having
    to re-key all the entries.  When selected, this function will present
    you with a listing of the number of diskettes you will need to make the
    backup;  you will need these disks ready before the backup process
    begins.  Place the first diskette in the A: drive, then follow the
    screen instructions until all test items are copied.  Make sure to
    label the diskettes in the order in which they are used.


                                  "Restore"

    Select "Restore" to reconstruct a testbank that has been corrupted or
    deleted.  Use of this function will void any tests which have been
    created previous to using the function, so do not use it unless there
    has been unrecoverable damage to the testbank.  When selected, the
    function will prompt you to insert the diskettes containing the backup
    test items;  it is important to insert the disks in the order in which
    the test items were backed up (e.g., disk 1 first, disk 2 second, etc.).

                                 "Test Items"


    Select "Test Items" if you wish to print some or all test items which
    match a certain key value;  author, topic or class.  When you select
    this function, you will be offered the opportunity to chose the selection
    criteria, then prepare the printer.  The test items will be printed.


                                 "Key Info"

    Offers you the opportunity to print out selected lists of authors, topics
    classes, tests, test groups, system files, or data file design structures


    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  CONFIGURATION

    Select "Configuration from the main menu when you wish to select or
    change the monitor type or whether the printer will be single-sheet
    or continuous forms.


    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  HELP!

    This item will produce a scrolling screen with general help informa-
    tion about TMS.  Use the up and down cursor keys to scroll the text
    up and down, and press the escape key (ESC) to exit the help screen.


    *****  MAIN MENU ITEM:  END

    Select this item to terminate TMS, and return to the DOS command-line
    prompt.


    PART II:  SUPPORT INFORMATION

    There is additional information in the file MANUAL.TMS (on the
    original diskette), and in the file TUTOR.TXT (also on the original
    diskette).  The additional information includes expanded instructions
    on use, instructions for installation, purchase and registration, and
    a brief tutorial.

    If you experience a problem with Test Management System, please
    write to:

                Marshall Woolner
                6284 Argyle Avenue
                San Bernardino,  CA 92404

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